


Illusion and Dream

by AzureAshes875



Category: Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-10-16 06:31:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17544521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzureAshes875/pseuds/AzureAshes875
Summary: trapped in a hotel in Colorado; Chris and Leon are forced to reckon with their past; their present; and each other. Vengenance is best served frozen; and they will need all the help they can get as they are forced to tangle between old and new; while navigating how they feel for each other. Secrets will be revealed; a darkness will threaten to consume them; and all they hold dear; one final time.Sequel to The Deal I'm Making.





	1. Massacre

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya guys!! I was asked for a sequel and I am happy to oblige. First things first, if you never read the Dealing I'm Making, I would highly recommend it; there is a lot of back story in there and details that may not be in here. I will do my best to add background here for those that decide not to read it; and if there are any questions, please ask.
> 
> Second; I work in a hotel as a server, and one night our power went out. That and the hotel itself was the inspiration for my background; because my hotel can be a bit creepy; even with the lights on!!There is a lot more Leon/Chris then in my previous fic; so I hope you enjoy it. I will update as I can; and I hope you guys enjoy it.

**_Chapter 1: Massacre_ **

* * *

**_“Then we wished them all a happy birthday_ **

**_We kissed them all goodnight_ **

**_Now he chases me to my room, chases me to my room,_ **

**_chases me in my black and red dress” Birthday Massacre_ **

* * *

Clinking of glasses, chattering voices; classical music; reverberated through his ears; as he entered the Gala. He could hear water running through the hotel's many fountains; splashes of swimmers in the pool in the center of the Atrium; where Palm trees and live plants grew.

A gas fireplace caught his eyes; vision scanning for the heartbeat he could feel underneath his own. Chris Redfield stood; green tactical uniform replaced with a black shirt and khakis; molten red brown still searching the room around him.

He found his target, leaning into the shadows; ass against a brick wall, long legs outstretched as he nursed a beer quietly. Silver blue hues dancing firelight in them, aware of everything around them; still taking a moment to breath. He wore black leather, blue underneath and sharp Levi denim that hugged his hips. Brown combat boots covered his feet; a normality in the strange.

 

No matter how many times he saw him; Leon Kennedy still took Chris's breath away.

 

They had been together for awhile now; taking things slowly; stepping on careful ground as they learned each other.

 

It's not often that one comes back from death; and should you; life is never the same.

 

For Chris and Leon; the norm they knew had become a paradigm shift. Between the new and the old; they found themselves navigating. 

 

Some things never changed. Several investigations were launched; both into the BSAA and DSO; Sherry and Claire the heads of those insiquistions; leaving Chris and Leon to do field work. 

 

Here they were in a hotel; in the middle of Colorado; doing exactly what was the average for agents like them.

 

Field Work.

 

Leon turned his head; sensing that Chris had arrived; the edges of a smirk framing his mouth.

He pushed slowly off the wall, turning his long frame towards the muscle that stood waiting; calm as ever in a storm of unknown; eyes never leaving the mans face.

 

Chris felt himself swallow; aware that Leon had caught the subtlety. Leon moved towards him languidly; as if they had all the time in the world.

 

Time always seems to freeze with the two of them; their lives blips and snap shots; a collage of images seen in the briefest of moments. 

 

He finally made it into Chris’s space; taking a lazy swallow from his beer; watching as the Captain tried not to react.

 

Bangs fell into his eyes; as he downcast them to the ground; before back up to Chris; searching his face. Leon had a hard time looking at Chris most days; it felt to him like Chris could see right through him. 

Any carefully placed walls Leon had shattered underneath the older man's gaze.

 

“Fancy seeing you here, Redfield.” Leon quipped quietly; professionalism taking over for primal instinct to grab the man and kiss him solid.

 

“You as well Kennedy. Care to join me at the bar?” Chris asked, gesturing towards the restaurant to his right, the bar music overplaying the classical.

Leon tilted his head in submission; following the bigger man quietly; eyes still aware of everything.

 

Field work.

 

Field work that made him want to hide as he searched for remnants of a nightmare that he kept trying to put behind him.

A nightmare that nearly cost him Chris; nearly cost him his friends; cost him a piece of his soul he wasn’t sure he’d ever get back.

 

Chris leaned against the bar; focusing on the football screens; then the people and finally the perky little bartender that asked him what he would have. He order a whiskey and coke; joining Leon at a table in the back; observing as his finger played with the black straw in his glass.

 

“You look sharp tonight.” He said softly; hints of affection lacing his vocal chords.

 

Leon fought the shudder that went through him; spikes of pleasure that centered in his gut as he side eyed the man that was his. 

 

“Likewise. Took me by surprise there; no green no tactical gear? Just what happened to Captain Redfield?” 

 

Chris chuckled at the teasing, head turning to look at his partner; in more ways than just one. 

 

“I fell for you.” 

 

Leon coughed into his shoulder; trying not to spit the warm beer back out his mouth as he inhaled some of it in shock. 

 

“Are are you indicating I have good taste?” He asked; mind still wrapping around Chris’s brazen comment.

 

Chris hummed; eyes turning from Leon to the front where a gaggle of people had gathered.

 

“Anything?” Chris said; serious mission face as he studied comings and goings of hotel guests.

 

“Nothing. That’s what worries me.” 

 

“Meaning there’s something.” 

 

“I feel it my bones, Chris. I’ve been staying here a week; I can feel it-” he stopped himself short; unwilling to finish the thought out loud.

 

_ “I can feel it like a snake coiling inside of me. Cold, unnatural.”  _

 

_ “I know. I feel it to, I got you.”  _

 

It wasn’t unusual anymore for them to grow quiet and only communicate with their minds. An ability gifted from before death and continuing after death; it helped protect them from others; but allowed them a window into each other.

 

A window that could shatter and break easily.

 

Chris did his best to never pry into Leon’s thoughts; for as much as they had been through had changed him; Leon still held onto his walls like a vice. 

Chris knew one day, he’d disintegrate them all completely, leaving Leon to his mercy. Chris cherished moments like this, where a vulnerability would leak into him; and he could assure; calm or bring peace to an aching Leon.

 

“Do you-”

 

He was interrupted by the hotel going completely black, emergency lights flicker on here and there; yet most of the world stayed dark.

 

What scared him more than the black, was the deadly silence.

* * *

For power to just shut off was abnormal; but there were normal explanations for a power shutdown. Lightning; car accident; squirrel; transformer just blew cause it could.

 

It was the silence that told both men there was something not quite average about this power outage. 

Most of the time during an outage; there is panic; or talking; frantic movement to get lights; either in flashlights or back up generators.

 

There was nothing; not even a rustle of movement; as if everything had frozen. 

 

Chris felt Leon pull his side arm; silently sliding against the wall as he slid towards the orange glow of an open kitchen three feet from his seat. 

 

The BSAA captain caught the intention and moved to be Leon’s back up; as they had so many times before; a natural automatic movement between them; fueled more by their connection. 

 

It was the quiet “fuck” emitted from Leon’s mouth that let Chris’ know he found something; or someone.

He leaned into Leon’s shoulder; looking back into the glowing kitchen. The gas line still worked; flames from gas stoves casting more orange over the soft emergency light to their right.

 

He felt sick; when he glanced what Leon saw. 

 

Frozen the cooks were; their movements stopped solid; as if they were part of Pompeii. 

They were frozen in red and black; their skin charred as if they had been cooked on the very grills they worked; but it was the red marks in their skin; that flagged Chris.

 

It was a flash freeze, swift and silent; causing no panic; no inkling that such a thing could occur in a matter of thirty seconds. 

 

Chris buried down the images trying to force their way to his forethought;nightmares of Edonia scrambling to surface. He watched blood ooze from one of the cooks arm; dropping onto the floor with a quiet splat.

 

Leon had turned to face out into the bar; eyes adjusting now to the dark; allowing him to see in fuzzy night vision; that everyone in the bar was the same as the cooks.

 

Frozen

 

Red and black.

 

Dripping blood and skin curling off as if they were slowly cooked alive.

 

His assumption was that everyone in the hotel was like this; a massacre that no one saw coming; save for his guts; he felt himself recoil slightly.

 

“What the fuck?” he said quietly.

 

“I don’t know. This-” 

 

“Is nothing I’ve ever seen before.” Leon finished; willing his hands not shake.

 

Their voices echoed off the walls; quiet and eerie; sending chills through their spines.

 

“What’s our plan?”

 

There was a loud crack in front of them; the sound of a body tearing in half; and then a guttural scream that came from nowhere and everywhere; bouncing to them in the bar; location hard to pinpoint as the terrifying cry continued to echo.

 

Chris didn’t think; reaction was everything he was used to and this instinct told him to move.

 

He wasn’t moving without Leon.

 

He grabbed the younger mans wrist and pulled him forward into the kitchen; Leon spinning with him in sync to his motives.

 

They ran past the cooks at the grills; blood and skin particles falling off them like ash; they ran into blackness as the orange glow behind them faded. 


	2. River

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my lord...I am so sorry for the delay in this. I have about three writing projects, massage school, kids and work. Please forgive me for the lateness. Bleh I will try to keep up more. ever have tons and tons of plot lines in your head? yep...so...anyway, the plot thickens. enjoy!!

**_Chapter 2: River_ **

* * *

**_“Lay me down by the Riverside_ **

**_Your in my mind but you’ll never die.” Cabiner_ **

* * *

Pictures entered her peripheral vision; one quietly sticking out among the throng of the them scattered around her brother’s office. She sat at his desk, a cacophony of cluttered paperwork; computer monitors and pens greeting her; tempting her annoyance with an amused huff.

Claire Redfield had offered to go undercover; under her own brothers organization; to find whom or what wanted to keep them in the dark about a virus powerful enough it could garner it’s own thoughts and intentions.

Claire however had more of a motive than the helping little sister. Both of her favorite men had died; only to be found by Rebecca Chambers-and from what Leon had remembered which wasn't very much, people had known in both the DSO and BSAA.

 

The information left the younger Redfield with two feelings:

1.Her boys had been set up- it had been meant for them to die.

2\. Someone had infiltrated,planning on taking over both areas from the inside out.

 

Neither option sat well with her. 

On top of that; she decided she would take the heat off both Chris and Leon; protecting them from the shadows. Things hadn’t sat right with her since they had come to life-Leon barely remembering anything; and Chris traumatized to a level she didn’t deem possible.

Behind their backs, she had constructed a meeting-a team full of the most powerful and amazing women she had the pleasure of working with:

 

_Sheva Alomar-Intel in the field; leads and all around fighting bad ass. Once Chris’s partner in Africa; now an ally-she was formidable in illegal contacts and dark places._

 

_Dr. Rebecca Chambers-Virologist; professor, medic, genius. Claire and Leon had met her_

_        in Raccoon City; Leon saving her. She was an ally a friend; a giant part as to why Leon and _

_          Chris had come back to life. Claire owed the woman her life-and she needed the girls        _

_          Expertise. _

__

_Sherry Burkin-Another survivor of Racoon City, just a little girl then: Leon saving her as_

_         well. Sherry grew up with Leon being the only father figure she had known; and because of  _

_         him-became an FBI agent when she was of age. Wanting nothing more than to aid in the  _

_         eradication of the monsters that had ripped her life away. _

 

In this, Claire had formed a team-pulling the heaviness away from the men she loved dearly; formulating plans-plots and investigations to get to the bottom of the darkness she felt circling since the day they returned in body bags.

Reality was it hadn’t taken much for Chris and Leon to agree on an investigation, on a covert operation to dig in and figure out what was going on. What the boys didn’t know is that they wouldn’t be the ones digging. Sheva was continually feeding them leads, sending them out for “Field work.” sometimes they were good leads; sometimes they were nothing-yet the one in Colorado seemed to stick.

It had come to her attention that sending them into the field wasn’t exactly protecting them. She also figured that the men were not ones for sitting at desks-plus whenever field duty called, they would not go unless they were partnered up.

She realized the attachment there could bleed to unhealthy, but was content with it for the moment. Dying in each others arms will change people; they had come back stronger in some ways-worse in others. For now their denial to work with anyone else but each other worked in her favor.

 

Claire sat back against the leather clad office chair, stretching the vertebrae in her spine-snap crackle-pop in succession.

Her eyes drifted once again to the photo, Chris and Leon facing each other. Her brother’s hands were around Leon’s biceps, his forehead pressed onto Leons. Leon had his hands on Chris’s waist, leaning into Chris; unspoken words dancing in their expressions. The photo had been taken by Rebecca, right before their Christmas trip. She had given it to Chris on New Years day, after discovering the boys finally had become official. The joke quickly became that if everyone had known the Colorado Rockies would have put those two together; they would have done it years ago.

 

Claire allowed a delicate finger tap the glass secured underneath a silver laced frame; her love for the boys making her chest swell and her eyes blurry.

 

She coughed once, focus brought back to the screen in front of her-the hacking technology she brought along with her scanning and searching for hidden files, encryption or codes that could lead to something.

 

_ To fucking close. To god damn close _ .

 

Her thoughts wandered, along the same lines as her friends: how long? How long would they fight?  The war was still dragging on, no end in sight. They had all lost people they loved,but losing Chris and Leon at the same time- Claire didn’t know if her heart could take it if it happened again. The soft alarm buzzing from the computer told her she had found something, blue eyes gazing over the screen.

 

“What the fuck?” She said-puzzlement clawing at the dredges of her intelligence.

 

_ Project: For the Fathers _

_ Origin: Albert Wesker _

_ Purpose: Intelligence/Genocide/New Race _

 

Immediately, she began to copy the inscription on her flash drive, details she would pour over with the team later.

 

She felt chills race through her, shivering against the warmth of the room-swallowing hard.

 

“A new race? They wanted to make a-”

 

Her communicator went off-alerting her away from her out loud processing.

 

“Claire,We have a problem.”

* * *

 

He slammed the door behind them in blackness; leaning against the heaviness of it as he trembled. He had thrown Leon in front of him-shielding the man from any more harm, Chris knew the brimstone he walked through and would do everything in his power to shelter him from anymore fire.

Leon stopped in front of him; pulling out his phone for the flashlight setting. He set it on as dim as possible, using it to light the room they were in.

They were in a tiny managers office of sorts, with a computer; file cabinets to the right and a desk in front of them. Leon caught sight of the bag of M&Ms on the desk and with mischievous smile turned back to Chris-only for the smile to fall from his face.

 

Chris was still against the door, shaking from head to toe-small lines of sweat beading down his forehead. In the red brown hues of his eyes; Leon could see the nightmares starting to surface.

 

Of the two, Chris was always the more open one-in mind body and spirit. Hardly ever did he block Leon from his mind unless it was a surprise he wasn’t supposed to know about.

 

Leon felt shock course through him when he reached out and hit a brick wall with his mind-unusual for Chris to even set up such defenses. Even though he couldn’t hear the older man’s thoughts-he could feel his energy in his own being.

 

Chris was worried, beyond the worry rested fear. Fear from the past-fear of a future-fear for Leon. 

 

Two steps. 

 

_ Two steps. _

 

He was close enough now that he could feel the Captain’s breath; rapid gasps in quick succession leaving him.His hands landed on both sides of his head, pinning Chris between the door and the agents body. Had Chris had been in a better state of  mind, the sheer force alone would have been a turn on.Leon didn’t speak, didn’t have to. Actions for him burned much more into the soul than words ever could.He ducked his head, pushing the top of it underneath Chris;s chin-the angled jaw lifting up automatically allowing access to this neck.

 

Leon’s lips found home in the carotid artery of his neck; tracing down from pulse point to the spiral white colored scars that was a permanent reminder of all they went through.

 

The stop stutter of his breathing told Leon he hit his mark-the hyperventilating ceasing into an eerie stillness.

 

He felt a strong arm of  the BSAA captain circle around his waist then pin him closer; chest to chest-hip to hip.Leon allowed one hand to trace the arch of cheek bone as silver blue hues met the clouded red brown.

 

“Come back to me, Redfield.”

 

His was voice was soft and mellow; meant to be calming and warm-designed to bring Chris back to reality.

 

_ Back to him. _

 

The military man's forehead fell onto the blondes-breath mingling closely together as tentative lips pressed into each other.

 

Circumstances they were under was exactly why they shouldn’t be kissing-survival instinct at war with want.

 

In the throes of danger they had learned, sometimes the pause to have this closeness brought them back round again. 

 

Leon sighed as the wall came crumbling down in the others mind; effectively allowing the man in again, allowing him to feel, touch and see.

 

“Sorry Kennedy. I didn’t mean to lose it. It was just-”

 

_ To close. _

 

Leon immediately understood the sentiment of to close. 

 

_ Too close to death. _

 

_ Too close to Edonia _

 

_ Too close to losing you, again. _

 

The agents hands found the front of the taller ones collar-gripping-desperation to not let go his only plan. 

 

“I know. Stay with me. I can’t do this alone.”

 

_ I don’t want to. _

 

Strong viable hands reached out to touch Leon's hair, twisting in them-sensation keeping him grounding. 

 

“What do we do? What was that? How do we-”

 

Leon pushed away from him, distance needed to clear his head-think, strategize a way out; a way to fight.

He popped a couple of M&Ms in his mouth, eyes meeting Chris as he thought.

 

“We need to get to my room. I have guns, ammo; what we need. I have my trusty Desert Eagle, and enough ammo for us to make a break for it-but it won't last us long.”

 

Chris found his hands coming to his face, wiping his eyes and sighing. They had one gun; and the combat knife Chris had hidden sheathed. It was unlike Redfield to be unprepared, all the leads Sheva sent them out on nearly ended up being nothing; Chris’s lapse in judgment on this one could cost them their lives.

 

“Okay. How many people in the hotel? Where is your room to where we are now?”

 

Leon twittered with a blue M&M, poking it out of his teeth and back in. 

 

“400. Count 100 of them out and about-we rest at about 300 maybe a little less. My room is in the Tower-third floor. I grabbed a detailed map, but hacked into the mainframe. If we can void the atrium, we might be able to avoid the majority of conflict; that requires a more round about journey.”

 

“Powers out,elevators are down and this fucking place is a maze. I guess we better get moving then.” 

 

Leon grabbed the bag of M&M’s, grinning as he moved towards Chris. He kissed him gently, tasting of chocolate and bourbon. Chris tried not groan at the intoxication of flavors leaning in further to claim the mouth before him. 

 

It was the skittered scratching along the wall that froze them-reverberation echoing through the all and into the office. It was followed with labored breathing; a snapping of teeth; but then it spoke:

 

_ “Coooome out-” _

 

Blue tangled with searing brown as shock laced through them. Very rarely did the undead speak; and to even fathom doing so resulted in something much more sinister than a normal T-Virus.

 

It shambled back and forth in front of the office-scratching along the door as if to tease-before scraping long nails along a metal counter; one they had ran past in order to hide. 

 

“We have to move now!” Chris gritted out, causing Leon to step back. He was still holding on to his bag of candies; putting away his phone and the desert eagle coming out.

 

“Let me go first, when I open the door you bank left run further into the back. There will be a hallway go straight until you see the doors leading outside. With any luck, they will be open and you can get clear, get help.”

 

Chris wanted to protest, wanted to go to battle with the idea of him even leaving Leon behind; but logic beat this one, with no weapon and only a knife; Leon had the best chance of getting the Captain to safety.

 

“Fine, but Leon-drop the bag of candy.”

 

The choked out chuckle had the elder man smiling as he moved away from the door; Leon flashing him a daring smile.

 

“Not a fucking chance. If we are going to die, _ again,  _ we will die with chocolate.” he tossed one in his hand before tossing it to Chris, who caught it with his mouth. 

 

“For luck.” A seriousness took over his face then, hand now on the metal handle of the door. “Chris, whatever you hear, don’t look back.” 

* * *

A solemn nod was all he could give before Leon wrenched open the door-turning right as Chris maneuvered left, the tell tail gritty grey the only way his eyes could sense objects in the dark.

He heard the shot behind him; clanking as bullet hit metal and bounced in a kitchen, stomach lurching when heard it the steamer; popping the side as a hiss of hot force released,condensation now a distraction.

Chris continued to run; noticing black tar drippings around him; noting that whatever this was it would be the worse he ever faced. He ran past an open doorway, a walk in humming; not catching the red eyes that watched him shadowed in the dark.

 

He startled to a stop when light hit him, headlights flashing through glass doors- four of them to be exact; eyes focusing on the array of cars that declared escape and he ran for the first door hoping to wrench it open. It was an employee entrance; meaning the doors would not be locked; not at seven in the evening.

 

He wrenched on it, willing it to budge; yet it remained unyielding, refusal to open to breath relief of air and aid. Eyes focused on the gap between the two doors and his stomach twisted in a tight knot. 

 

Tar like substance, the same he had seen on the floor on his run-was placed between the two doors; hardened and sealed. The motive was unspoken, yet clearly visible-only Chris would not accept that defeat.

 

Unsheathing his knife, he slammed the handle of it on the glass; knowing its weakest point from countless times of breaking windows; doors; ceilings-he was an expert in escaping impossible situations. 

 

The glass didn’t break, and to the utter sinking feeling that now coiled around him like a snake-he watched in morbid horrific fascination as the glass frosted; then sealed itself in black-blocking out any light from the outside world.

 

Chris Redfield forced himself not to slump over to his knees, to soldier up and fight panic as three words repeated themselves over and over in his brain:

 

_ We are trapped... _

**Author's Note:**

> Here ya go!! Gentle feed back is always encouraged.


End file.
